


Emergency response

by Hypatia_66



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Accidents, Cold War, Emergency drill, Gen, Pre-Canon, Submarines, collision
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:29:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29776875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypatia_66/pseuds/Hypatia_66
Summary: A collision at sea - accident or intentional? Illya speaks English and is delegated to find out.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	Emergency response

**Emergency response**

Night in international waters, clear of the ice shelf: a perfect time for practising emergency procedures in secret. The captain had, as far as possible, carefully checked for other craft in the area using the usual visual and aural clues.

“Nothing,” he said. “We will carry out the emergency blow in five minutes time, Comrade Lieutenant. Alert all hands.”

Calling the sub’s company to attention over the speaker system, Kuryakin announced the exercise, adding, in more colourful slang, the equivalent of, “Hold on tight, comrades!”

Having moved loose belongings and tools into lockers, the men gripped anything firmly attached and waited. It could be a thrilling procedure but in the sudden upward thrust there was always a risk of getting a fractured skull from falling objects.

The gush of air forcing water out of the ballast tanks could only be heard when the sub’s nose rose out of the water at a sharp angle and smacked down again. The sub wallowed in the disturbed water causing some qualms to those prone to it. As the boat settled, they looked around for breakages and for anyone caught out and flung down.

The captain was pleased. There had been no other shipping around and the sea was calm. There was one dislocated shoulder among his men – caused when the man turned just as the blow commenced but no other damage. The operation was deemed a success.

And after the usual checks had been carried out, he said “Prepare to dive, Comrade Lieutenant.”

<><><>

“We can be sure that there is a Soviet boat in the area,” said the captain of the NATO surveillance boat. “Rig for silent running – and keep that periscope turning.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

Turning to the diving officer now, he said, “We’ll go a little lower, I think. Take her down.”

The NATO sub began to dive silently. Calm prevailed; nothing could be seen through the periscope. Then suddenly there was a jarring lurch and a grating sound from underneath.

“Surface!” shouted the captain and air was released into the ballast tanks to raise the boat from whatever it had hit.

“Lookouts to the bridge,” he said as they surfaced.

<>

No-one was prepared or in a brace position of any kind when the boat listed to starboard suddenly and started to shake. Men and objects were flung around and an alarming crunching sound of tearing metal was heard from above. There was no panic but injured men were groaning and it was several minutes before order was restored.

Kuryakin, asleep in his bunk, found himself on the deck of his cabin with a bruise on his head and grazes on his knees. He sat up rubbing his head then heard the emergency signal to surface and groped for a handhold.

The captain, unsure of the damage they might have sustained, issued a command for a steady but fast release, not a full emergency blow so as not to put pressure on the hull. As they emerged he looked through the periscope into the darkness and saw the silhouette of another submarine.

<><>

Officers and crew were ordered to examine the boat for damage to the sail and other parts of the interior. Kuryakin went to look at the main access and emergency hatches. He found that the main hatch was damaged and decided it would probably be safer not to open it until they reached port in case it couldn’t be made watertight again. The emergency hatch appeared to be undamaged and the other men reported no obvious interior damage to the sail. He returned to the captain for further orders.

“They have launched a craft,” said the captain. “Coming to check on us.”

“Who are they sir?”

“It’ll be a NATO boat, I’m guessing, but I assume they didn’t intend to do this.”

English was the usual international language of mariners, but the captain’s knowledge was limited to the basics of ordinary naval discourse. He turned to Kuryakin, “You speak English, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Go and talk to them. We will have to return to port for repairs but we don’t want their assistance. And Kuryakin, can I rely on your discretion? No-one wants to go to war over an accident – if that’s what it was.”

“Of course, Comrade Captain. I’ll go out by the emergency hatch, sir.”

<><>

As the men in the inflatable approached the Soviet submarine, they saw a small figure standing calmly, feet apart with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting for them. He appeared to be unarmed.

“Is there any damage?” they asked when they came closer than shouting range.

“Some,” replied the little Soviet.

“Anyone hurt?”

“No-one badly hurt.”

“Are you taking in water?”

“No.”

“What were you doing surfacing like that?” one of them demanded, irritated by his taciturnity. He was shushed by his mates who looked at the young man standing above them to see how he had taken it.

“We were _not_ surfacing,” he replied coolly but he made no comment about their own action and saw them look at each other. There was a pause.

“Are you able to proceed under power? Do you need assistance?”

“Thank you for asking. We need nothing,” said the inscrutable Soviet. “We shall report accidental damage when we return to port. I suggest you, too, return to port to check for damage.”

The word ‘accidental’ made the NATO crew sit up more cheerfully, though the final suggestion was less well received. They said no more but saluted and set off to row back to their own boat.

“Good English,” said one as they rowed.

“Like a bloody clam, though,” said another.

“He knew it was our fault, so why did he make so little of it?”

“Afraid of being shot at dawn for carelessness, I shouldn’t wonder.”

“No. He’d have threatened to make a row if that was the case – to show it was us not them. You know what, it’ll be the new regime in Moscow. So they’re not going to want to rock the boat for a bit… Rock the boat, get it?”

“Very funny. Har bloody har.”

“ _Is_ there any damage to ours, by the way?”

“Doubt it.”

<><>

“Was their manoeuvre intentional?” the captain interrupted as Kuryakin reported his conversation with the other sub’s crew.

“I don’t think they knew we were there, sir.”

“And they said it was our fault, did they?”

“One of them tried to suggest it was our fault but the others seemed irritated by what he said, so I told them we would report that the damage was caused accidentally and they looked relieved. I assume they will make a similar report.”

The captain looked at him and thought for a moment. “Very good, Comrade Lieutenant. We will report a collision with an unknown vessel.”

“Sir.”

“You handled that well, Ilya Nikolaivitch,” the captain now said. “It had the makings of an international incident, which I believe you may have averted.”

“Sir,” Kuryakin said again.

“As the damage to the vessel is likely to take some time to repair, I think I might put you forward for intelligence training. I’ve noticed before that you seem ideally suited and, in these dangerous times, you could be very useful to our beloved country.”

Taken by surprise, Kuryakin was for a moment speechless. “Thank you, sir,” he stammered, “I – I …”

The Captain smiled. “I see you also need to learn how to take a compliment,” he said. “Now let’s see if we can proceed to port. We seem to be watertight, so prepare to dive, Comrade Lieutenant.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Kuryakin responded, his flush fading.

======

Emergency blow


End file.
